Where to Find Players
The quality of your recruitment pipeline determines the ceiling of your club. If you are only recruiting from your immediate friend group, you are limiting your options to whoever happens to be available at the time. Expanding where you look gives you access to a larger pool and a higher chance of finding players who are genuinely a good fit.
Reddit. The r/ProClubs subreddit has a dedicated recruitment thread that updates regularly. Post a clear description of your club, including platform, division level, time zone, playing schedule, and what positions you need. Be specific. A post that says "looking for players, all positions" attracts lower-quality responses than one that says "PS5, looking for a CDM and a left back, we play Thursday and Saturday evenings UK time, mic required." Specificity filters out people who are not a fit before you ever have to trial them.
Discord communities. There are several large Pro Clubs Discord servers that include recruitment channels. Search for Pro Clubs Discord on Google or through Discord's server discovery. These communities tend to have more active members than forum-based recruitment and the turnaround on responses is faster. Some servers also run their own leagues, which means players in those communities tend to be more serious about the game than casual players.
EA forums. The official EA forums have a Pro Clubs recruitment section. It is less active than Reddit or Discord but worth a post, particularly because players who are looking there tend to be specifically committed to finding a long-term club rather than filling a casual spot.
Twitter and X. Search hashtags like #ProClubs, #EAFC, and #ProClubsLFT (looking for team). Some players post their own availability with position, platform, and skill level included. This method requires more active searching than posting in a thread, but it can surface good players who are not actively browsing recruitment forums.
TikTok Pro Clubs communities. There is a growing Pro Clubs presence on TikTok with content creators who post gameplay. Comments sections and creator communities sometimes include players who are actively looking for clubs. It is not the most efficient recruitment channel but it reaches a younger demographic that might not be on Reddit or Discord.
What to Ask Potential Recruits
Before you invite anyone to a trial, gather the basic information that determines whether a trial is even worth running. Ask about their preferred position and whether they can cover secondary positions if needed. Ask about their skill level and what division they have previously played at. Confirm platform compatibility. Confirm time zone and typical availability, because a talented player in a conflicting time zone helps you in exactly zero matches. Ask whether they use a mic. A player who refuses to communicate is a liability in a team context regardless of their individual ability.
Ask one more question that most captains skip: why did they leave their last club? The answer tells you more about a player's character than their position or skill level. Someone who left because the club was inactive and they wanted more matches is a green flag. Someone who left because "the captain was an idiot and no one listened to them" requires more scrutiny before you bring them in.
How to Run a Trial
A trial should give you enough information to make a decision without exposing your regular squad to significant disruption. Run two or three matches with the trialist in their stated position. Watch specifically for positioning discipline, communication quality, and how they respond to mistakes, both their own and their teammates'. Raw skill is visible almost immediately. Character takes a little longer to observe but two or three matches is usually enough to get a clear read.
Do not stack a trial with multiple players at once unless you are rebuilding significant portions of your squad. Trialling three new players simultaneously makes it hard to evaluate anyone clearly and changes the team dynamic enough that your existing players may also perform below their normal level.
Green Flags and Red Flags
Green flags include: arriving on time for the trial session, having their mic ready without being reminded, asking questions about the formation and their specific role, recovering from mistakes without visible frustration, and playing within the team structure rather than trying to do everything themselves.
Red flags include: being late without communication, refusing to use a mic or using one inconsistently, blaming teammates for defensive errors in the trial, trying to play a completely different position than stated, and reacting badly to any kind of tactical feedback during or after matches.
Retaining Good Players
Recruitment costs time and energy. Retention is cheaper. The main reasons good players leave clubs are inactivity, poor communication from leadership, a feeling that their contribution is not recognised, and a sense that the club is not progressing. Address these directly. Keep a consistent schedule. Communicate upcoming matches clearly. Acknowledge good performances after sessions. Show that you have a plan for the club beyond just maintaining the current division. Players stay in clubs where they feel valued and where they believe the club has direction.
Using Stats to Evaluate Recruits Objectively
If a recruit tells you they are a reliable left back or a consistent striker, ask them to share their club name and check their stats on PROCLUBS.IO. Their average match rating, pass success rate, and goals or assists per match give you an objective baseline that is harder to misrepresent than a player's self-description of their ability. You are not looking for perfection. You are looking for whether the numbers align with what they told you. A player who describes themselves as a rock-solid defender but has an average rating below 6.0 across their last twenty matches is telling you something important. Use the data before you commit to a trial, and the trial becomes a confirmation rather than a discovery process.